Merriespruit tailings dam disaster (22 February 1994)

The Merriespruit tailings dam disaster occurred on the night of 22 February 1994 when a tailings dam failed and flooded the suburb of Merriespruit, Virginia, Free State, South Africa. Seventeen people were killed.

Late afternoon on the day of the failure a thunderstorm occurred and about 50 mm of rain fell in 30 minutes. When the dam failed, 600 000 m³ of liquid flowed 4 km. The nearest houses were located 300 m downslope of the dam, when the wave of water and slime reached them it was 2.5 m high.

Seventeen people were killed and there was widespread devastation and environmental damage. Eighty houses were destroyed.

Number 4A in the Harmony Gold Mine tailings complex failed. The dam was designed in the early seventies by the mine's metallurgical manager and a representative from the tailings dam contractor. The town of Merriespruit, a 250-house suburb of the Goldfields town of Virginia, was already established when the No. 4 dam was started in 1978. The northern wall of the dam was only 320 m from the nearest houses in Merriespruit.

In the early years the slurry had a low relative density that led to difficult construction conditions with seepage and sloughing on the northern wall. A drained tailings buttress was constructed against the face of the northern wall. A single ringmain around the dam was not used, contrary to current practice. A return water dam that could accept water from the dam itself was not provided.

In March 1993 an inspection noticed seepage on the north wall and it was agreed to stop deposition into compartment 4A. According to the contractor the freeboard at this time was an acceptable 1.0+ m. The division of compartments 4A and 4B was breached some time before the disaster, resulting in drainage from 4B to 4A. The extra drainage led to a freeboard of 300 mm. Despite the termination of daywall construction, excess plant water containing tailings continued to be deposited, with the water decanted by the penstock and the remaining tailings using up the remaining freeboard.

Piezometers were installed and the water table established, the contractor calculated the stability factor of safety to be 1.34

The No 4 dam was in an unacceptable condition prior to failure. Contrary to legislative requirements, at the time of failure the dam did not have the capacity to maintain a 0.5 m freeboard during a 1 in 100 year 24-hour storm. Satellite imagery showed that water was ponded against the northern wall in February 1994.

An eyewitness reported a strong stream of water entering the town downstream of the dam at 7 o'clock on the evening of the disaster, and that was not the first time this had occurred. One person reported seeing water flowing over the top of the dam wall. When the mining company and contractor arrived at the site that evening one of the contractor's employees found water lapping the top penstock ring, he then removed rings from the two penstock outlets. Another employee saw blocks of tailings toppling from the tailings buttress. Before they could warn the inhabitants of the town they heard a loud bang and a wave of tailings and water flooded the town.

Separate investigations were carried out by the owner, operator, and the State.

A joint inquest/inquiry was run, with a judge appointed by the Minister of Justice. The State conducted investigations including looking at eyewitness accounts, weather and hydrological data, laboratory and in situ tailings testing, satellite imagery, and overtopping studies using a scale model. The mine and the contractor managing the tailings were found responsible for the disaster. The inquiry led to the introduction of a new Code of Practice for Mine Residue Deposits.

The judge described the dam as a time bomb waiting to explode.

The owner, operator and six of their employees were found guilty of negligence and heavy fines were imposed. It was discovered that economic pressure had led to a reduction in personnel related to the tailings dam, the metallurgical manager's direct management of the dam was reduced due to time constraints, and personnel had been promoted to positions that they did not have adequate experience for.

The South African government appointed the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to investigate, they confirmed the conclusions reached and as a result the 1995 Draft Code of Practice for the "Design, Operation, and Closure of Tailings Dams" was introduced.

Public awareness of the threat of tailings dams led to community pressure preventing an application for expansion for a tailings dam within 1 km of houses in Fleurhof in 1997. The operator, who is also responsible for the majority of tailings dams in South Africa appointed qualified staff and implemented a hazard-management strategy for every tailings dam.

- Wikipedia

UNICEF scales up support to Malawi’s Flood Victims as rains persist

Floods displace over 33 000 people and destroy schools

LILONGWE, 01 February 2013- UNICEF is scaling up its emergency assistance in Malawi after flooding has hit the country’s southern region. A recent inter-agency assessment estimated that over 33,000 people have been displaced leaving many people without shelter or clothing. Crops have been destroyed in Mangochi, Phalombe and Nsanje districts, while over 20 schools have been disrupted, affecting thousands of children.

“Communities, government, NGOs and the UN are working together to avert a humanitarian disaster,” said Mr. Mahimbo Mdoe, UNICEF Country Representative in Malawi. “But the rains are persistent and we remain on high alert as the flooding spreads to other areas.”

The persistent rains have destroyed roads making access to flooded areas difficult for the delivery of relief materials. Food, emergency shelter, medical supplies and other non-food household items such as blankets, buckets and pots are urgently needed for the affected amilies. The flooding has also compromised access to safe water, sanitation and overall hygiene in the affected communities.

In response, UNICEF is providing communities with a combination of water, sanitation and hygiene-related supplies. Supplies include chlorine, soap, water purification chemicals, plastic sheeting for construction of temporary bathing and latrine shelters, as well as hygiene awareness campaigns to prevent the risk of cholera.

Many displaced families have sought shelter in schools using them as kitchens and bedrooms resulting in considerable damage to school furniture and disruption in learning in at least 20 locations. UNICEF has provided the school-in-a-box supplies to ensure that quality learning resumes in the affected primary schools.

“Vital supplies are getting through to stricken communities,” said Mr. Mdoe. “But as UNICEF we remain vigilant, monitoring childhood diseases, ensuring schools are functional and that children go back to learning.”

Despite the flooding, Mangochi, Phalombe, and Nsanje are also among the districts hit hardest by the current drought, which has left nearly 2 million people food insecure and children at a high risk of malnutrition and disease across the country.

- ReliefWeb

Southern Africa: Floods Situation Report (as of 30 January 2013)

Highlights

Heavy rains continue to fall over northern Mozambique, causing floods in some areas and affecting at least 510 people. Parts of northern and central Madagascar are also
recording heavy rainfall from the same low pressure system located in the Mozambique Channel. Felleng, now a Category Three Tropical Cyclone and expected to strengthen to Category Four in the next 24 hours, continues its southward trajectory, about 200 km parallel to the eastern coast of Madagascar. Felleng is projected to bring three to four days of rainfall to the eastern coast of Madagascar; flooding is expected.

Situation Overview

While the flood response in southern Mozambique is continuing, new cases of flooding are being reported in northern Mozambique. Tropical Cyclone Felleng is moving parallel to the eastern coast of Madagascar, and while not projected to make landfall, flooding is still expected. River levels are also high across the region.

Madagascar

Tropical Cyclone Felleng threatens east coast

Felleng, now a Category Three Tropical Cyclone and expected to strengthen to Category Four in the next 24 hours, continues its southward trajectory, about 200 km parallel to the eastern coast of Madagascar (See annex for a planning map of districts likely to be affected by Felleng).

Felleng is projected to bring three to four days of rainfall to the eastern coast of Madagascar. Floods are expected on the eastern coast and possible in the capital Antananarivo (in part also due to the low pressure system in the Mozambique Channel that is bringing rain to parts of northern and central Madagascar and northern Mozambique.

In Antananarivo, the floods contingency plan has been activated. An emergency meeting has been held between the city council and the Red Cross to establish temporary shelters and prepare for possible evacuations.

In other regions, the National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) is working with the Red Cross to prepare for possible evacuations. Two BNGRC teams will be deployed to areas at risk, and a Medair Team is already in place.

The UN Country Team has also met and stands ready to respond in support of BNGRC.

Mozambique

New floods in northern Mozambique


Heavy rain continues to fall over northern Mozambique, causing floods in many areas. In the Maganja da Costa district in Zambezia Province, 105 houses have been damaged, affecting 510 people. Assessment of the damage is ongoing.

As more rains over northern Mozambique is expected over the next few days, the situation requires close monitoring.

National authorities have requested sector leads to strengthen their support to provincial Emergency Operation Centers (COE) in the provinces of Zambezia, Cabo Delgado and Niassa.

Mozambique, in dealing with the floods in the south, is already stretched to capacity, therefore additional flooding in the north could have serious humanitarian implications. Flood response continues in the south

The distribution of food and relief supplies by Government and partners in the flood
affected areas in southern Mozambique are ongoing.

Due to high number of people in temporary shelters, the Disaster Management
Technical Council (CTGC) has recommended the strengthening of protections measures in all shelters in Gaza Province.

The UN is sending a helicopter to Gaza to support the provision of relief supplies and to enable access to isolated areas, such as the districts of Chigubo and Chicualacua.

Sanitation is still a major concern in Chokwe district, as well as in the temporary shelters. There is a need for water purification supplies and materials to construct latrines, as well as for antibiotics, oral rehydration salts and mosquito nets. More tents and shelter kits are required to assist those that remain unsheltered. As the
number of those in need continue to increase, more food is also needed. The following information has not changed since yesterday’s report:

At least 48 people have died in severe floods that have devastated southern Mozambique. Some 250,000 people have been affected, of which 146,000 people are still being housed in temporary shelters. Access to some areas continues to be an issue, with many roads and bridges washed away.

The rains over southern Mozambique have ceased for the time being, and the floodwaters are slowly subsiding. Still, many have lost everything in the floods and will thus require continued humanitarian assistance.

The Government of Mozambique, supported by the UN and partners, are responding; and while much support is being provided, more is needed. The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is drafting response plans, which should be launched within the next few days. It is hoped that these will be adequately supported, in order to save lives and livelihoods.

Botswana

Flooding in northern Botswana

No new information has been received since yesterday’s report. The information below still the latest:

Flooding due to extremely heavy rains has been reported in the North-East and Central districts of Botswana.

It is still unclear how many people have been affected. However, in Dukwi Refugee Camp around 120 shelters housing 325 refugees have been damaged by high waters. Sewage systems in the camp are also affected. The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), together with Botswana Red Cross Society (BCRS), has responded to address the immediate needs of the affected people. The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, is supporting the Government of Botswana to assist displaced refugees and has provided food and other basic materials.

The prepositioned relief supplies of both NDMO and BCRS has now been completely exhausted, which could affect their ability to respond to any further flooding that may occur. A full situation report is expected shortly.

Forecast

The low pressure system in the Mozambique Channel will continue to bring heavy rains to northern Mozambique and northern and central Madagascar over the next week. Tropical Cyclone Felleng will also bring heavy rains to the entire eastern coast of Madagascar. Significant rainfall is also forecasted for central South Africa, including Lesotho, as well as much of Zambia and Malawi. The following week
(07 to 15 February), rain is again expected over southern Mozambique, which may again increase water levels.

This report is produced by OCHA Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by OCHA ROSA. It covers the period from 29 to 30 January 2013. The next report will be issued on or around 01 February 2013.

Epidemic Hazard in Nigeria on Friday, 23 November, 2012 at 13:33 (01:33 PM) UTC.

No fewer than three persons have died while 42 others have been hospitalised in an outbreak of an ailment suspected to be cholera in Ede North and South Local Government Areas of Osun. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the affected people were struck with the sudden but profuse dual symptoms of vomiting and stooling. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Temitope Ilori, who confirmed the outbreak in a telephone interview, said officials of her ministry had been drafted to the town to assist the victims. She said the state government was working tirelessly to curtail the spread of the epidemic beyond the immediate environment where it had been reported. Ilori said the health personnel dispatched to the area had been mandated to check the spread and monitor the victims and the environment. "I will not tell you lies, there was an outbreak of cholera disease in the two Local Government Areas in Ede but we are in total control of the situation now. “The government has directed the Rural Water Environment and Sanitation Agency (RUWESA), officials of the Ministries of Health, and Environment and Sanitation to bring the situation under control.” Ilori, who confirmed that no fewer than three people had been found dead in the cholera infected area, expressed optimism that health officials would stem the development. Although the information on the hospitalisation of the victims was still sketchy as at the time of this report, all of them were said to be receiving medical attention within the ancient city. Some of the hospitals where the victims being treated included Muslim Hospital, Prime Hospital and Rombay Hospital ,among others, all in Ede.

- RSOE EDIS

Aircraft Accident in Egypt on Thursday, 22 November, 2012 at 04:22 (04:22 AM) UTC.

Egyptian security officials say a fighter plane has crashed near the southern city of Aswan, killing the pilot. Officials say the Russian-made MiG-21 jet crashed while on a training flight Wednesday in an agricultural area north of Aswan. Fire fighters rushed to put out the blaze caused by the crash and cordoned off the site.The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters. They did not give the cause of the crash.

- RSOE EDIS

Biological Hazard in Liberia on Wednesday, 21 November, 2012 at 16:58 (04:58 PM) UTC.

Report emanating from Foya, Lofa County indicates that a stinging honey bees attack Tuesday, 20 November 2012 left one person dead and five others critically wounded. Lofa County is situated in the northernmost portion of Liberia, with six political districts, Voinjama serving as the Capital City. The county's land area measures 9,982 square kilometers (3,854 sq mi), and it is one of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in country. According to the report, a swarm of honey bees Tuesday waged a stinging war on residents of Foya Town, killing an unidentified person and leaving five others wounded and hospitalized. The report reveals that the critically wounded persons are said to currently be receiving medical treatment at the Foya-Borma Hospital in the county. The report avers that the honey bee's attack, which is the first of its kind in that part of the country, witnessed the flying insects overtaking every quarter of Foya Town in very huge numbers. The honey bees' attack, the report maintains, terrified residents of the town and threw them in a state of confusion, with many persons running helter-skelter.

- RSOE EDIS

Could Ebola now be airborne?

A doctor works in a laboratory on collected samples of the Ebola virus at the Centre for Disease Control in Entebbe.

London - Fears are growing that the most lethal form of the Ebola virus can mutate into an airborne pathogen, making the spread of the terrifying disease more difficult to check.

It was previously thought that the untreatable virus, which causes massive internal bleeding and multiple organ failure, could be transmitted only through contact with infected blood.

But now Canadian researchers have carried out experiments showing how monkeys can catch the deadly disease from infected pigs without coming into direct contact.

“Our findings support the hypothesis that airborne transmission may contribute to spread, specifically from pigs to primates, and may need to be considered in assessing transmission from animals to humans in general,” they said.

The findings come as scores of people in Uganda were isolated last week to prevent the spread of a new Ebola outbreak that has already killed three in the country.

Ebola causes fatal haemorrhagic fevers in humans and many other species of non-human primates. It was first reported in 1976 in Congo and is named for the river where it was recognised. There is no cure or vaccine.

The illness is characterised by fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat and weakness, followed by diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach pain, according to the US-based Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

“A rash, red eyes, hiccups and internal and external bleeding may be seen in some patients.”

The virus is known to be transmitted through direct contact with the blood or secretions of an infected person, or objects that have been contaminated with infected secretions.

It is often spread during funerals where there has been an outbreak when the bereaved come into contact with an Ebola victim.

In some cases, it can trigger organ failure and unstoppable bleeding, killing a previously healthy adult within days.

One of the deadliest diseases known, it has killed two-thirds of the roughly 1 850 people who have been diagnosed with it.

Experts say this extreme virulence is its weak spot.

The virus can be contained because it kills its victims faster than it can spread to new ones.

However, if the disease is now airborne it could make containment more difficult.

Researchers at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg deliberately infected six piglets with the Ebola virus and put them in pens where macaque monkeys were housed in wire cages.

Within eight days all four monkeys had caught the virus through indirect contact, according to the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Dr Gary Kobinger from the National Microbiology Laboratory at the Public Health Agency of Canada took part in the study.

He told BBC News that they suspect that large droplets of moisture containing the virus were being exhaled with the piglets’ breath.

“They can stay in the air, but not long, they don’t go far,” he said. “But they can be absorbed in the airway and this is how the infection starts, and this is what we think, because we saw a lot of evidence in the lungs of the non-human primates that the virus got in that way.”

Further work is needed, but the findings are worrying as macaques are close genetic relatives to humans, said the researchers.

Fruit bats are a known “reservoir” for the Ebola virus, and people have also contracted the disease after handling infected chimps, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines.

But this research suggests that wild or domestic pigs could also be a natural host.

The latest outbreak of the disease in Uganda – in a district just 65km from the capital Kampala – comes roughly a month after the country declared itself Ebola-free following an earlier outbreak in a remote district of western Uganda.

The latest Ebola outbreak, officials say, is of the Sudan strain of Ebola and not linked to the previous one, of the Congo variety, which killed at least 16 villagers in July and August in the western district of Kibaale.

In addition to the three dead in the latest outbreak, up to 15 are being monitored for signs of the disease, officials said.

Ebola is especially feared in Uganda, where multiple outbreaks have occurred over the years, and news of it can cause patients to flee hospitals to avoid infection.

In 2000, in one of the world’s worst Ebola outbreaks, the disease infected 425 Ugandans and killed more than half of them in the country’s north. Another outbreak in 2007 killed 37 people in Bundibugyo, a remote district near the Congolese border.

– Daily Mail

Fire in Nigeria on Tuesday, 20 November, 2012 at 12:10 (12:10 PM) UTC.

Fire outbreaks in parts of Zamfara State resulted in the death of 15 persons and injury to more than 30 others this year, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported. Malam Abdullahi Jibo, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), of Zamfara State Fire Service, told newsmen in Gusau yesterday that the casualties were for January to November, 2012. He said that more than 100 persons were rescued by men of the fire service during the period under review. Jibo, who said that the service received several calls from victims during the period under review, stated that property worth about N126 million were also destroyed in the reported outbreaks. He, however, said that property estimated at about N946 million were saved by fire fighters. Jibo said most of the outbreaks resulted from illegal electricity wiring, storage of petrol in residential areas, and carelessness in the use of matches, candles and gas cookers.

- RSOE EDIS

Environment Pollution in Nigeria on Saturday, 10 November, 2012 at 18:54 (06:54 PM) UTC.

US oil giant ExxonMobil's Nigerian subsidiary on Saturday said a pipeline had been shut down after an oil spill off southern Akwa Ibom state. The source of Friday's offshore leak had been identified and an investigation launched, the company said without giving further details. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer. Its oil-producing Niger Delta region has been badly contaminated by decades of spills. Spills occur frequently in the region due to a range of factors, including sabotage by oil thieves or militants as well as operational or maintenance faults by the oil companies.

- RSOE EDIS

Epidemic Hazard in Ghana on Thursday, 15 November, 2012 at 12:06 (12:06 PM) UTC.

The Tarkwa Government Hospital has recorded an increasing number of cholera cases from certain parts of the Tarkwa Nsueam Assembly. No death has been recorded yet. Victims who normally visit the hospital for treatment on the outbreak come mainly from areas such as Akyempim, Old Town, Cyanide, Bankyim, Nkamponase and Esuoso. Briefing the Ghana News Agency on the current situation of the epidemic on Wednesday, the Municipal Disease Control Officer, Mr. Ebenezer Tetteh said a total of 140 cases had been recorded since the disease was detected two weeks ago. He said his outfit was putting up the necessary measures to contain the outbreak and cited poor sanitation in the constituency as the major contributory factor. Mr. Tetteh said to curb the situation, which had become a yearly affair, the Assembly and the environmental department should create an appropriate dumping site for refuse to be properly disposed. The Municipal Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Christiana Babbie Annan Nunoo, announced that to support the Municipal Health Directorate in fighting the menace, the Assembly had set up a task force to carry out inspections at public places in the Municipality. The task force is made up of assembly members from the affected communities, municipal guards, representatives from the health directorate, environmental department and Tarkwa Nsueam assembly. They will visit factories of water producers, food vendors and dumping sites to access the sanitation condition.

- RSOE EDIS

Angola floods kill 6

INTERNATIONAL NEWS - At least six people have died and hundreds of homes have been damaged amid heavy rains that have drenched Angola since the start of the week, local media reported Thursday.

In the capital Luanda, a four-year-old died when a wall collapsed, Tito Manuel of the civil protection told the state-run Angop agency.

Two of the city's main vehicle arteries were closed to cars due to landslides and mudflows.

A mother and infant were reportedly killed in the country's second city of Benguela, while there were three other fatalities in the south of the country.

Source : Sapa/George Herald

Growing concerns over 'in the air' transmission of Ebola

Workers prepare to disinfect during a recent Ebola outbreak in Uganda.

Canadian scientists have shown that the deadliest form of the ebola virus could be transmitted by air between species.

In experiments, they demonstrated that the virus was transmitted from pigs to monkeys without any direct contact between them.

The researchers say they believe that limited airborne transmission might be contributing to the spread of the disease in some parts of Africa.

They are concerned that pigs might be a natural host for the lethal infection.

Ebola viruses cause fatal haemorrhagic fevers in humans and many other species of non human primates.

Details of the research were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the infection gets into humans through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs and other bodily fluids from a number of species including chimpanzees, gorillas and forest antelope.

The fruit bat has long been considered the natural reservoir of the infection. But a growing body of experimental evidence suggests that pigs, both wild and domestic, could be a hidden source of Ebola Zaire - the most deadly form of the virus.

Now, researchers from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the country's Public Health Agency have shown that pigs infected with this form of Ebola can pass the disease on to macaques without any direct contact between the species.

In their experiments, the pigs carrying the virus were housed in pens with the monkeys in close proximity but separated by a wire barrier. After eight days, some of the macaques were showing clinical signs typical of ebola and were euthanised.

One possibility is that the monkeys became infected by inhaling large aerosol droplets produced from the respiratory tracts of the pigs.

One of the scientists involved is Dr Gary Kobinger from the National Microbiology Laboratory at the Public Health Agency of Canada. He told BBC News this was the most likely route of the infection.
"What we suspect is happening is large droplets - they can stay in the air, but not long, they don't go far," he explained.

"But they can be absorbed in the airway and this is how the infection starts, and this is what we think, because we saw a lot of evidence in the lungs of the non-human primates that the virus got in that way."
The scientists say that their findings could explain why some pig farmers in the Philippines had antibodies in their system for the presence of a different version of the infection called Ebola Reston. The farmers had not been involved in slaughtering the pigs and had no known contact with contaminated tissues.

Dr Kobinger stresses that the transmission in the air is not similar to influenza or other infections. He points to the experience of most human outbreaks in Africa.

"The reality is that they are contained and they remain local, if it was really an airborne virus like influenza is it would spread all over the place, and that's not happening."

Hidden host
 
The authors believe that more work needs to be done to clarify the role of wild and domestic pigs in spreading the virus. There have been anecdotal accounts of pigs dying at the start of human outbreaks. Dr Kobinger believes that if pigs do play a part, it could help contain the virus.
"If they do play a role in human outbreaks it would be a very easy point to intervene" he said. "It would be easier to vaccinate pigs against Ebola than humans."

Other experts in the field were concerned about the idea that Ebola was susceptible to being transmitted by air even if the distance the virus could travel was limited. Dr Larry Zeitlin is the president of Mapp Biopharmaceuticals.

"It's an impressive study that not only raises questions about the reservoir of Ebola in the wild, but more importantly elevates concerns about ebola as a public health threat," he told BBC News. "The thought of airborne transmission is pretty frightening."

At present, an outbreak of ebola in Uganda has killed at least two people near the capital Kampala. Last month, Uganda declared itself Ebola-free after an earlier outbreak of the disease killed at least sixteen people in the west of the country.

- BBC

Epidemic Hazard in Uganda on Wednesday, 14 November, 2012 at 15:10 (03:10 PM) UTC.

The deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever has broken out in the central Ugandan district of Luwero about one month after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the East African country free of the disease. Joaquim Saweka, the WHO country representative told Xinhua by telephone on Wednesday that the outbreak was confirmed on Tuesday following laboratory tests that turned out positive for the disease. “Yes that is true, we have dispatched one team to make preliminary assessment and also set up an isolation unit,” he said. The epicenter of the outbreak is in Sombwe Parish, Nyimbwa Sub County, Luwero district which is located about 40km north of the capital Kampala. Joseph Okware, the Luwero District Health Officer was quoted by Daily Monitor on Wednesday as saying that two people belonging to the same family had died of the disease over the weekend. The outbreak comes at a time when the country is still experiencing the deadly Marburg fever in several parts of western Uganda. In July this year the Ebola outbreak in the Midwestern Ugandan district of Kibaale left at least 20 people dead. Ebola victims present with symptoms like fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, measles-like rash, red eyes, and sometimes with bleeding from body openings.

- RSOE EDIS

Landslide in Nigeria on Thursday, 08 November, 2012 at 04:06 (04:06 AM) UTC.

At least nine illegal miners have been reported to have lost their lives when a mining pit collapsed on them at Dogon Daji village of Maru Local Government Area, Zamfara State. One of the illegal miners, who gave his name as Shafiu Abdullahi, told the Nigerian Tribune that before the tragedy, the miners would have dug about N2.3 million worth of gold. He disclosed that the incident occurred around 5.00 a.m. on Tuesday, when the miners were digging at one of the mining sites at Dogon Daji village Abdullahi told the Nigerian Tribune that they were about to observe their morning prayer when some people rushed to the mosque shouting for help. “We rushed to the mining site and found out that the mining pit had collapsed and there were 10 people buried underground.” According to him, it took the rescuers more than nine hours to bring out the bodies of the dead miners. “When we brought them out around 2.00 p.m., nine of them were already dead, except one Mallam Hussaini Maikifi, who was rescued and rushed to the General hospital Maru,” Abdullahi said. As of press time, it was gathered that the illegal miners had deserted the site.

- RSOE Edis

Death toll hits 9, 67 rescued after Ghana mall collapse

INTERNATIONAL NEWS - The death toll following the collapse of a six-storey mall in the Ghanaian capital Accra climbed to nine on Thursday, with at least 67 people so far pulled alive from the rubble, a military official said.

"As of now, we have so far got 76 people, nine of whom unfortunately lost their lives, so we are still going on," Dan Mishio, director general of operations in the Ghana military.

The previous death toll was three, with 51 rescued alive.

An 18-strong search team from Israel was due in the West African nation later Thursday to help with the rescue effort as Ghanaian authorities used concrete cutters and other equipment to clear away debris.

It was not clear how many people were inside the building when it collapsed ahead of opening time on Wednesday. Police had initially said around 50 employees worked there, but the number of people located has far exceeded that.

Source : Sapa/George Herald

Landslide in Nigeria on Thursday, 08 November, 2012 at 04:06 (04:06 AM) UTC.

At least nine illegal miners have been reported to have lost their lives when a mining pit collapsed on them at Dogon Daji village of Maru Local Government Area, Zamfara State. One of the illegal miners, who gave his name as Shafiu Abdullahi, told the Nigerian Tribune that before the tragedy, the miners would have dug about N2.3 million worth of gold. He disclosed that the incident occurred around 5.00 a.m. on Tuesday, when the miners were digging at one of the mining sites at Dogon Daji village Abdullahi told the Nigerian Tribune that they were about to observe their morning prayer when some people rushed to the mosque shouting for help. “We rushed to the mining site and found out that the mining pit had collapsed and there were 10 people buried underground.” According to him, it took the rescuers more than nine hours to bring out the bodies of the dead miners. “When we brought them out around 2.00 p.m., nine of them were already dead, except one Mallam Hussaini Maikifi, who was rescued and rushed to the General hospital Maru,” Abdullahi said. As of press time, it was gathered that the illegal miners had deserted the site.

- RSOE EDIS

Ghana: Accra's Melcom department store collapses

A multi-storey department store has collapsed in the capital of Ghana, Accra, trapping dozens of people in the rubble.

Rescue efforts are continuing, with officials saying that at least four people died in the Melcom store.

The BBC's Sammy Darko, who has visited the scene, says 42 people have been pulled out alive.

Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama said he had suspended his campaign for next month's election.

The government has declared the area in the city's Achimota neighbourhood a disaster zone.

'Terrified'

Vice-President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur went to the site and co-ordinated rescue efforts at the building, which opened earlier this year.

As night fell, hundreds of rescuers continued to dig through the rubble, amid fears that more people were trapped.

Mr Amissah-Arthur said the building had collapsed shortly before the Melcom store was due to open for business.

Rescue efforts were being hampered by the large crowd that had gathered at the site, he added.

"There's so much noise that it's not possible to hear the trapped people asking for help," Mr Amissah-Arthur said.

In a statement on its Facebook page, Melcom said it had rented the building which housed its Achimota branch on a 10-year lease.

"This is indeed a very tragic incident," it said.

"We are doing everything possible to see that help reaches those who need it. Our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies goes to the families of those who may have lost their lives."

Our reporter says customers often queue outside the store before it opens and officials say they believe about 50 people may been inside at the time of the collapse.

Eyewitness Ama Okyere told the AFP news agency she was very close to the shopping centre when the building came down.

"I had to run for my life. I was so terrified. I believe there are lots of people trapped under this because this is a heavily patronised shopping mall in the area."

Family members tried to call relatives feared trapped beneath the rubble on their mobile phones, AFP reported.

Another witness, John Owusu, said he heard a bang before the building collapsed.

President Mahama, in a tweet moments after the building collapsed, said: "My prayers are with the workers, shoppers and others who are trapped in the rubble of the Achimota Melcom building."

He has cut short his campaign in the north of the country and has flown back to Accra to see the rescue effort.

- BBC

Dozens feared trapped in Ghana shopping mall collapse

A six-storey shopping mall collapsed in the Ghanaian capital Accra on Wednesday and dozens of victims were feared trapped in the rubble, sparking desperate rescue bids, witnesses said.

One employee at the scene, who declined to be named, estimated around 40 workers were in the building when it collapsed, though he was not sure about the number of customers.

Family members gathered at the scene trying to phone relatives they feared might be trapped there, as scores of rescue workers sought to clear debris and get oxygen masks to victims.

"My son, my son, my son! My son is going to die! Get him for me! He is my only son!" one woman screamed.

An AFP correspondent witnessed four people being brought out of the rubble alive. The cause of the collapse of the Melcom shopping centre was not immediately clear.

President John Dramani Mahama issued a brief statement through his Twitter account.

"My prayers are with the workers, shoppers and others who are trapped in the rubble of the collapsed Achimota Melcom building," it said.

Some time later another tweet from his account said he was suspending his election campaign ahead of December 7 polls due to the disaster.

Police had rushed to the scene and were still seeking to confirm details as a large crowd gathered at the site. Soldiers arrived to help maintain order.

"The issue is still fresh," Assistant Superintendent Juliana Obeng told AFP. "They are still working to get to the root of the building. Meanwhile we have sent ambulances to the scene."

Witness Ama Okyere told AFP that "I was very close to the mall because I was going to buy something only for me to see the building coming down.

"I had to run for my life. I was so terrified. I believe there are lots of people trapped under this because this is a heavily patronised shoping mall in the area."

Another witness said he heard a bang followed by the building falling in.

"I was on my way to school and all of a sudden heard a big bang and people shouting, only for me to see that the shopping mall has collapsed," said another witness, John Owusu.

The building in the capital of the West African nation of some 20 million people includes a number of shops selling various types of consumer goods.

The Melcom Group of Companies, based in Ghana, includes extensive retail outlets, according to its website.

Ghana, a major producer of gold and cocoa which began significant oil production in 2010, is viewed as a success story in often turbulent West Africa and a rare example of a relatively stable democracy in the region.

- AFP/Times Live

Nigeria floods kill 363, displace 2.1m

Lagos - Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency says 363 people died over months of flooding across the West African nation and 2.1 million others were displaced.

The agency made the announcement on Monday as Nigeria's annual rainy season is coming to an end. The report covered July through the end of October.

The agency said Adamawa and Kogi state suffered the worst casualties, with more than 18 000 people being injured.

Heavy seasonal rains typically cause flooding across Nigeria, as drainage can be poor in areas and people live in floodplains.

However, the flooding this year was exacerbated by heavier than normal rains that cause officials in both Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon to open strained dams.

- AP/News24

Epidemic Hazard in Ghana on Friday, 02 November, 2012 at 14:23 (02:23 PM) UTC.

Six people have reportedly died as a result of the cholera outbreak in Ejura in the Ashanti Region within seven days. According to a local journalist in the area, Musah Inuwa, the Ejura Government Hospital has recorded more than twenty-six cholera cases during the week. An eighteen year old second year student of Ejura T.I. Ahmadiya Junior High School, Musah Dauda, was among the dead. The rest of the deceased are females. Musah Inuwa reports that the situation is getting out as many of the district assemblies are facing challenges with sanitation. He indicated that the senior medical doctor at the hospital is blaming the situation on the collapse of the operations of Zoomlion in the area.

- RSOE EDIS